Defining Environmentally Sensitive Lawn Care

Green industry professionals, government representatives and environmental organizations are on the move – creating a set of guidelines with the potential to impact lawn care practices and the environment.

The mission of the Lawns & Environment Coalition is to develop consensus-based guidelines for responsible lawn and landscaping practices, and to educate and encourage the public to adopt them. The procedures outlined include the appropriate use of chemicals, water, plant species and other stewardship principles intended to enhance the value and benefits of residential landscapes to homeowners, wildlife and the community.

“These are guidelines for homeowners and do not have a major concentration on pesticides,” explains Tom Delaney, vice president of government affairs, Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA). “They cover basic principles and some of the things that we know are the most misunderstood or are some of the most important.”

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that an upcoming meeting, open to all interested parties and scheduled sometime in March, will discuss the evolving lawn and environment guidelines. Specifically, the March gathering likely will focus on a list of guidelines for landscape contractors’ interactions with property owners – including the basics of mowing, pruning, pest control, debris disposal and water conservation.

Beyond whatever guidelines emerge from the March rendezvous, Delaney sees the initiative as an opportunity to build relationships for future discussions.

“To this point, one of the major outcomes is the fact that such a diverse group with different missions were able to assembly a document that we feel is good guidelines for a homeowner that covers many aspects of a home landscape,” he comments. “This may be an ongoing relationship and we may be able to work in other areas. We may find the best mechanism for communication to the homeowner.”

The author is assistant editor-Internet of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at aanderson@lawnandlandscape.com.